While Phelps is the best swimmer in the world, Peirsol is a backstroke specialist and he managed to get the measure of Phelps once again in the 200-meter back.

Peirsol, the 2004 Olympic champion, needed every bit of his 1-minute, 55.81-second winning time to hold off Phelps (1:55.84). The final turn was the difference. Earlier, Phelps won the 100 butterfly in a meet-record 51.61.

Coughlin, meanwhile, showed once again why she's the best 100-meter backstroker in the world with her win in the meet-record time of 59.44. She's swum that time on three occasions now and it is just shy of her world record 59.21.

"I was hoping for a best time, but that time is very, very good," Coughlin said. "I felt very good tonight. I've never had personal bests, or right on my personal bests, in the middle of the season. That's something that hasn't happened since my teenage years. It gives me assurance in my training and gives me confidence going into the (Olympic) trials."

Peirsol and Phelps had the crowd roaring at the George F. Haines International Swim Center as they turned for their final 50-meter churn to the finish. Peirsol had a clear yet slight edge after the turn but Phelps, immediately to Peirsol's left in lane four, was windmilling furiously to try to catch up. "It's like that every time we race," a clearly pleased Phelps said. "He brings out the best in me. I'm still winless. I'll keep trying. It is really fun racing him."

Peirsol, the 2000 Olympic silver medalist and '04 gold medalist in the event, came to this meet from his home in Austin, Texas, specifically to race Phelps.

Michael Phelps competes in the men's 100 butterfly finals at the Santa Clara International Invitational swim meet in Santa Clara, Calif., on Saturday, May 17, 2008.
Photo by Norbert von der Groeben / Special to the Chronicle
Ran on: 05-18-2008
Michael Phelps won the 100 butterfly in a meet-record 51.61 seconds, but he later had trouble keeping up with Aaron Peirsol. less

Michael Phelps competes in the men's 100 butterfly finals at the Santa Clara International Invitational swim meet in Santa Clara, Calif., on Saturday, May 17, 2008.
Photo by Norbert von der Groeben / Special ... more

Photo: Norbert Von Der Groeben

Photo: Norbert Von Der Groeben

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Michael Phelps competes in the men's 100 butterfly finals at the Santa Clara International Invitational swim meet in Santa Clara, Calif., on Saturday, May 17, 2008.
Photo by Norbert von der Groeben / Special to the Chronicle
Ran on: 05-18-2008
Michael Phelps won the 100 butterfly in a meet-record 51.61 seconds, but he later had trouble keeping up with Aaron Peirsol. less

Michael Phelps competes in the men's 100 butterfly finals at the Santa Clara International Invitational swim meet in Santa Clara, Calif., on Saturday, May 17, 2008.
Photo by Norbert von der Groeben / Special ... more

Photo: Norbert Von Der Groeben

Peirsol ekes out dramatic duel with Phelps

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"It was a wonderful race," Peirsol said. "I knew it was going to be. We have a history of that. Fortunately, I got my hand on the wall first. ... That's the reason I came here from Texas, to try to get some racing in. I'm glad I got the juices going. It's not every day I get to race someone like that. It gets me ready for trials."

Long sprinter Peter Vanderkaay gave the meet its second American record in two days when he cracked the mark in the 400-meter freestyle with a time of 3:43.82. Coughlin broke her U.S. mark in the 100 free Friday.

A strong final 50 gave Vanderkaay, of Ann Arbor, Mich., the American, U.S. Open and meet record. All he lacks now is the world record, a daunting 3:40.08 by Aussie Ian Thorpe from 2002.

Vanderkaay, 24, eclipsed Klete Keller's American record of 3:44.11 and his U.S. Open standard of 3:44.19, and obliterated Phelps' 2007 meet record of 3:47.34.

Six weeks before the Olympic trials, not tapered yet and sporting a cheesy mustache, Vanderkaay was pleased if understated.

"It shows where I am right now and what I can do," he said. "I hope there's more in the tank. ... I felt good this morning (in the prelims). I wanted to see how fast I could go. I didn't really expect to go under the record."

Looking ahead to next month's Olympic trials, Vanderkaay said, "Hopefully I can go faster. I still have some training to do and get some rest under my belt."

Stanford graduate and 2004 Olympian Tara Kirk won her specialty, the 100 breaststroke, but was less than thrilled with her time, 1:08.36. Her best time, from a year ago, is 1:06.34.

"I came into the meet thinking it'd be a high-level workout," she said. "But 1:08 is not going to cut it. I'm happy with the win. The time was not very good. This week has been very busy for me."

Kirk explained that she spent five days the last two weeks shooting segments of the "fashion intervention" television show "What Not to Wear," on TLC but managed to get her training in.

"Doing the show was really great because it was a great distraction from being too intense," she said. "I felt a lot more relaxed in the water, not so uptight. I won, so let's not be too down on myself."

Briefly: Maki Mita, a member of the Japanese Olympic team, collapsed and had to be taken to a hospital, according to the Associated Press. Mita finished the women's 800 relay when she began having trouble breathing, cramping and experiencing chills, according to a meet official. Paramedics and firefighters were called. According to a Japanese team official, Mita was "OK," but was to be kept overnight as a precaution.